OCTOBER 2016 BEAUTY FAVOURITES

Throughout October, i’ve been loving some truly amazing beauty products and I can’t wait to share them with you. There’s makeup, skincare, fragrance and pampering treats, so let’s get stuck in.

Firstly, let’s talk about my new hair. I went to the Rainbow Room International salon on Glasgow’s George Square and had the most stunning Balayage done by Eilidh. This is basically a technique where you get highlights and then different tones are then hand painted on to really give your hair lots of texture and dimension. I think i’m going to be a Balayage devotee forever now.

I have found the best highlighters in the entire world. Seriously, these are completely and utterly amazing. The Sara Hill Makeup Pink Opal Collection (£40 from Sara Hill Makeup) is a set of four loose highlighter pigments and they are gloriously intense. There are four shades – Rose Quartz (a pink-toned silver), Cosmos (a white silver), Moon Dust (a gold with a pink shift) and Pink Opal (an irridescent pink). You need these in your life, you really do.

God bless Lush – they have released my beloved Twilight bath bomb scent (a malty, relaxing blend of Lavender and Tonka Absolute) in new forms for Christmas. The Sleepy Body Lotion (£13.95 for 215g from Lush) and the Mr Sandman Dusting Powder (£7.50 from Lush) smell just like the Twilight/Luxury Lush Pud bath bombs and they are so nice to put on at bedtime. The lotion is rich and super moisturising (there’s oatmeal and organic Fair Trade cocoa butter in there), and the dusting powder is gold with a light gold sparkle – glitter at bedtime is a total winner in my book.

Another product that I’ve been loving for its scent is Jo Malone’s new Basil & Neroli Cologne* (£43 for 30ml from Jo Malone). As you know, I am allergic to most fragrances as they give me instant and intense migraines, but this one is so herby, fresh and not at all heady that I can wear it and really enjoy it. I still wear my The Body Shop British Rose on a day-to-day basis, but I love this one for special nights out.

Onto skincare, i’ve been relying on the Skyn Iceland Blemish Dots (£17.50 from Cult Beauty) so much this month as i’ve had quite a few rogue and painful spots popping up on my face. These Blemish Dot stickers are genius and they work incredibly well – they are near enough invisible when on the skin and you just stick one over your spot at bedtime (or if you’re at home all day without makeup on too) and leave it there for at least 8 hours. It will dramatically shrink and calm your spot (via the Salicylic Acid & antibacterial Tea Tree they are infused with) and they work every time.

I’ve been applying the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream* (£70 from House of Fraser) as a base for my makeup all month. This moisturiser is a secret blend of ingredients that Charlotte has been applying to celebrities and catwalk models before shoots and shows for years. Her unqiue BioNymph Peptide Complex stimulates collagen production and fights free radicals; Hyaluronic Acid plumps the skin with moisture; Rosehip Oil, Camelia Oil and Vitamin E condition and moisturise the skin and add radiance, and there is SPF 15 and UVA protection in there too. This cream really hydrates your skin and gives it a lovely youthful glow. Makeup applies so nicely on top of it too.

Finally, I’ve been loving the new Emma Hardie Plump & Glow Hydrating Facial Mist (£35 from M&S). I love a good facial mist and this one contains Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and plump the skin. It also have cooling Watermint and soothing Aloe Vera, plus tiny gold pigments to boost skin’s luminosity. This is just so enjoyable to use and it makes your skin look instantly more fresher and glowy.